Latest news with #B.LEAGUE
Japan Forward
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
Chiba Jets Embrace Trust and Unselfish Play as Their Core Values
The Chiba Jets have won 11 consecutive games heading into the semifinals of the playoffs against the Utsunomiya Brex. Chiba Jets point guard Yuki Togashi runs the offense against the Alvark Tokyo in Game 2 of the playoff semifinals on May 11, 2025, at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo. (© Trusting your teammates and unselfish play are often hallmarks of successful pro sports franchises. The 2024-25 Chiba Jets, one of four teams still remaining in the playoffs, provide vivid examples of these qualities whenever they step onto the floor. During the regular season, the Jets won 42 of 60 games despite a rash of injuries to key players. For example, former NBA forward Yuta Watanabe only appeared in 35 games and big man John Mooney was limited to 43 games. Franchise cornerstone Yuki Togashi, who has played for the Jets since 2015, played in 50 matches. Missing three players as talented as this Jets trio for long stretches of the season could have had a profound negative impact on their win-loss record. Credit first-year bench boss Trevor Gleeson for his leadership and installing strategies that relied on the synergy and strength of teamwork, not individual play. Jets head coach Trevor Gleeson ( Chiba's 78-53 and 92-65 runaway wins over the rival Alvark Tokyo on May 10 and 11 at Ariake Coliseum provided much more than a handful of glimpses into the Jets' mastery of working together to accomplish a goal. And remember this: Togashi, a 31-year-old linchpin of the Jets' starting lineup for a decade, returned to action on May 3, the team's penultimate game of the regular season. Back on the court after missing a month of games due to a left ankle sprain, Togashi wasn't thrust into the starting lineup. Instead, he came off the bench against the Sendai 89ers on May 3 and 4, playing about 12 and 16 minutes, respectively. Yuki Togashi shoots a jumper against the Alvark in the playoff semifinals on May 11 at Ariake Coliseum. ( When the playoffs began, Gleeson maintained the same approach with Togashi, utilizing his experience and skills off the bench. And in Game 2 of the quarterfinals against the Alvark, Togashi, the team captain, delivered an 18-point performance. Most notably, he had an electrifying 16-point effort in the second quarter, knocking down 5 of 5 from 3-point range and helping carry the Jets to a 50-28 halftime lead. Togashi worked diligently with Chiba's medical staff to overcome his injury and be ready to compete before the playoffs began. He's also continued to work with them to strengthen his ankle. "Since the end of the regular season, the trainers and I have been taking good care of my injury so that I can recover as much as possible the next day," Togashi told reporters after Game 2. "And I think that led to my performance today." Teammates recognized that Togashi had the hot shooting hand ― just like the 9,300-plus spectators observed ― so they kept passing him the ball. Trevor Gleeson worked as an assistant coach for the NBA's Toronto Raptors (2021-23) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-24). ( After the game, Gleeson, a five-time title-winning coach in the Australian NBL, spoke about the Jets' current 11-game winning streak. He also dissected the team's chief strengths at this stage of the season. "We're in this position because we play the right way," Gleeson said on Sunday. "The guys play defense and support each other and play unselfish on offense. We share the ball, find the open man and put trust in them, and it's a trust and belief in our system and each other that gives you that opportunity." Jets players talk during a break in the action in Game 2. ( The Jets face the Utsunomiya Brex in the semifinals, a best-of-three series, starting on Saturday, May 17 at Nikkan Arena Tochigi in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. In this clash of Eastern Conference powerhouse squads, who have combined for three titles, both teams exemplify unselfish play. For instance, four Brex players scored in double figures during the regular season (led by DJ Newbill's 17.1 points per game). Similarly, the Jets had five players scoring 10 or more points a game: Christopher Smith (17.0), DJ Hogg (16.2), Togashi (13.9), Watanabe (13.3) and Mooney (12.0). Gaudy individual statistics are not a priority, Gleeson insisted. Throughout his travels as a coach, starting in the early 1990s in his native Australia, Gleeson has closely followed what works to sustain excellence and compete for titles. Jets rookie Riku Segawa ( And that includes Togashi coming off the bench and rookie point guard Riku Segawa, 18, getting the starting assignment in both games against the Alvark. Gleeson described it as "just a good team rhythm at the moment." The former NBA assistant coach then commended Togashi for not letting his ego interfere with the team's chief goal: winning a title. "I've got to get Yuki to accept that role," Gleeson said of being a backup, "and not be, 'I want to start, I want these minutes.' " He added, "That's very unselfish and just reflects the team attitude ― that the team comes first." Chiba star Christopher Smith in action against Tokyo in Game 2. ( The Jets haven't lost since a 70-68 setback against the Sunrockers Shibuya on April 12. Since then, Chiba has developed into a more cohesive team. Despite that loss, Gleeson pointed out that "it just had a good feel within the group. They started trusting each other and being in the right spots and being patient, and you can see that on the court." He continued: "It doesn't matter what five guys are on the floor, they are supporting each other. And it's a beautiful thing when that happens. It's great to see." Further commenting on past observations and experiences that Gleeson draws upon to put his stamp on the Jets, he shared additional examples of recurring themes over the years. "There's some traits that success brings when you're trusting each other," he told the news conference, responding to my inquiry. Trevor Gleeson's team went 42-18 in the regular season. ( About Game 2, he mentioned that eight Jets players contributed to the team's total of 19 assists. Indeed, an impressive across-the-board effort. "That's a team that's not scared of passing the ball to the extra man," said Gleeson. "And that's something you build up in practice and during the games. You can't be selective if maybe it's a non-shooter. You've got to trust your teammates. "Look, I've been on teams that don't do that, and I've been on teams that do do that. And I know which one wins, so that's really important for us to keep believing in each other and playing together." Jets center John Mooney passes the ball as Alvark big man Sebastian Saiz looks on. ( Togashi missed his only shot in the first quarter in Game 2 against Tokyo. He later admitted that the shot didn't have a good feel to it. And remember, Togashi, the all-time leader in 3-pointers (1,177), is a player who's attempted thousands of shots in his pro career. He's an authority on the nuances of his offensive game. So when he lit up the scoreboard in the second quarter of the Jets' series-clinching win, that earlier missed attempt proved important. "After that shot, I felt more confident, and I was relieved," Togashi told reporters. He added, "After that, I was able to shoot in a real rhythm." For the Chiba Jets, Togashi as an offensive catalyst is an integral part of their overall success, which is built on a foundation of trust and unselfish play. Yuki Togashi salutes the crowd after the Jets' series-clinching win against the Alvark. ( Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Japan Forward
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Forward
B.League Playoffs Get Underway with a Slew of Games
Reporting on the playoffs, Mai Yamamoto's exit from the WNBA, Jiyai Shin's latest golf title and boxer Kazuto Ioka's rematch against Fernando Martinez. Ryukyu Golden Kings shooting guard Masahiro Waki runs the offense as Shota Tsuyama of the Shimane Susanoo Magic defends in Game 2 of a quarterfinal series on May 10, 2025, at Okinawa Arena. (© Four teams remain in the hunt for the 2024-25 title. Over the weekend of May 9-11, the Japan men's pro basketball circuit staged a quartet of best-of-three quarterfinal series, and the Ryukyu Golden Kings, Chiba Jets, San-en NeoPhoenix, and Utsunomiya Brex punched their tickets to the semifinals. The semifinal pairings are San-en (47-12 in the regular season) vs Ryukyu (46-14) and Utsunomiya (48-12) vs Chiba (42-18). Head coach Trevor Gleeson's Jets have won 11 straight games ― in the regular season and playoffs. Semifinal matches are scheduled for May 17-19. Ryukyu was the first team to advance to the Final Four ― its series against the Shimane Susanoo Magic began a day earlier than the other quarterfinals showdowns ― on Saturday, May 10. The Golden Kings' Vic Law shoots a jumper in Game 2 on May 10. ( The Golden Kings opened the series with a 79-71 triumph on Friday at Okinawa Arena. Vic Law scored a team-high 15 points. A day later, Ryukyu outscored Shimane 20-5 in the third quarter and pulled away for an 88-70 win. Law, a Northwestern University alum, was the high scorer (26 points) once again. Teammates Keve Aluma and Alex Kirk poured in 19 and 18 points, respectively, and Masahiro Waki finished with nine. San-en NeoPhoenix big man Yante Maten shoots a layup against the Gunma Crane Thunders in the fourth quarter on May 11 in Hamamatsu. ( After escaping with a narrow victory (83-80) over the visiting Gunma Crane Thunders on Saturday, May 10, the NeoPhoenix completed the series sweep with a 93-84 triumph the next day. San-en led 50-32 at halftime in Game 2, but the pesky Crane Thunders whittled away at the lead in Hamamatsu. Former NBA shooting guard/small forward David Nwaba led the NeoPhoenix with 26 points on 8-for-11 shooting from the field in the series-clinching win. Four teammates also reached double digits in points, including Ryusei Sasaki and Hirotaka Yoshii with 16 apiece. Utsunomiya Brex guard Yusuke Endo in action against SeaHorses Mikawa forward Jake Layman on May 11 in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture. ( Elsewhere, Eastern Conference champion Utsunomiya prevailed 93-81 over the SeaHorses Mikawa in the series opener and recorded an 89-75 victory the next day. In Game 2, Makoto Hiejima led the Brex's balanced offensive attack with 18 points and made three steals. Chiba Jets star Yuki Togashi shoots a 3-pointer as Alvark Tokyo forward Ryan Rossiter defends on May 11 at Ariake Coliseum. ( In Game 1 of the Alvark-Jets series on Saturday at Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo faced a 23-8 deficit at the end of the first quarter. The Alvark's nightmare, including 18-for-70 shooting, led to a 78-53 defeat. Chiba jumped out to a 22-14 advantage by the end of the first quarter in the rematch and gradually pulled away, winning 92-65. Star guard Yuki Togashi scored 16 of his 18 points in the second quarter, igniting the Jets with five 3-pointers on five attempts in an electrifying performance in the 10-minute stanza. Teammate Christopher Smith had a game-high 20 points. The Alvark, who won both regular-season meetings with the Jets by a combined eights points, trailed 50-28 at the half. Game 2 was another atrocious shooting performance for Tokyo (20-for-68 from the field). "I think that all five [Chiba] players on the court yesterday and today were able to do what the team had prepared for the entire 80 minutes," Togashi told reporters on Sunday. "And in these two matches, all of our players really got into a rhythm from defense in order not to bring out the best in our opponent." Playoffs Tip Off with Compelling Matchups in the Quarterfinals Mai Yamamoto (KYODO) The Dallas Wings cut two players, including Japanese guard Mai Yamamoto, on Sunday, May 11. WNBA teams are required to pare their rosters down to 12 players before May 15, one day before the league's 29th season tips off. Yamamoto, 25, appeared in two preseason games for the Wings. The Hiroshima Prefecture native began her pro career with the WJBL's Toyota Antelopes in 2017. Yamamoto was Japan's leading scorer (17.0 points per game) at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Jiyai Shin holds mementos for the winner after capturing the the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup in a playoff on May 11 in Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki Prefecture. (KYODO) Jiyai Shin won the World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff on Sunday, May 11 at the Ibaraki Golf Club. The South Korean made a birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole to secure the victory, her 29th JLPGA Tour title. In her successful career in Japan, Shin has won five majors, including the Salonpas Cup for the first time in 2018. Shin had a four-round total of 7-under 281. She shot a 1-over 73 in Sunday's fourth round in Tsukubamirai, Ibaraki Prefecture. Runner-up Saiki Fujita carded a 3-over 75 in the final round but also cobbled together a 281 to ensure a playoff. Fujita made par on the playoff hole and had to settle for second. Rumi Yoshiba finished third at 6-under 283, followed by Min Young Lee (283) and Mi Jeong Jeon a further shot back. [ODDS and EVENS] Saiki Fujita Makes JLPGA History with Her 7th Hole-in-One Kazuto Ioka (left) and Fernando Martinez trade punches in the 10th round of their WBA super flyweight title match on May 11 at Tokyo's Ota City General Gymnasium. (©SANKEI) Challenger Kazuto Ioka dropped WBA super flyweight champion Fernando Martinez to the canvas with a well-executed left hook in the 10th round of their title rematch on Sunday, May 11. Martinez (18-0, nine knockouts) got back up and stood tall in the eyes of the ringside judges at Ota City General Gymnasium for his overall performance in the 12-round match. Ioka lost on points (114-113, 115-112 and 117-110) on the three scorecards. As a result, Ioka, who turned 36 on March 24, fell short of his goal of becoming the oldest Japanese man to capture a boxing world title. In September 2016, Hozumi Hasegawa set the record (35 years, 9 months), winning the WBC super bantamweight title. "I hope I can continue to do something meaningful with this record at stake in my next match," Ioka said, according to Nikkan Sports . Ioka slipped to 31-4-1 (16 KOs). The Martinez-Ioka bout was originally penciled in for December 31, 2024, but it was rescheduled when Martinez caught the flu. Martinez, an Argentine, also outpointed Ioka in their 12-round showdown on July 7, 2024, at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. The Central League's Hanshin Tigers and the Pacific League's Hokkaido Nipponham Fighters are tied for Nippon Professional Baseball's best record (20-14-1) through Sunday, May 11. Author: Ed Odeven Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
